


A Feather-Light Touch

by KiranPhantomGryphon



Category: Sherlock - Fandom
Genre: Angellock, Catlock, M/M, Slow/infrequent updates, Tags to be added, Winglock, beastlock, creaturelock, griffinlock, hybrid universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-15
Updated: 2014-11-07
Packaged: 2018-02-08 22:40:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1958799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiranPhantomGryphon/pseuds/KiranPhantomGryphon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Watson never saw the point of owning a hybrid. They were too human to be pets, and too animal to be companions. But John has a change of heart when a police raid on an illegal breeding mill inundates the clinic with injured and sick hybrids, among them the remarkable griffin hybrid, known only by his ID number, 221B-SHERLOCK. As John's life begins to orbit the hybrid, John finds that he must re-evaluate what it means to own a life- and what it means to love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. To Begin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [brilliantboffins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/brilliantboffins/gifts).



Sand and blood. That's all John could ever remember of his regular nightmares.

They all were similar enough. Each featured sudden detonations of subterranean IED's, the dusty yellow sand stained vermillion with splattered blood, the haunting wails of soldiers who knew there was no hope for them.

The single gunshot.

The searing pain in his left shoulder.

John woke with a start, chest heaving, pulse racing, and leg and shoulder throbbing as he eased his body down from its panicky high. A glance to his mobile- half past one in the morning, and... Three missed calls?

John's brow furrowed in confusion, as he swiped to the Recent Calls screen. There they were, three missed calls from Sarah, all in the last ten minutes. Too groggy to even care what she wanted, John's fingers flew over the keypad on autopilot as he punched in Sarah's number.

 

"John! Did I wake you?"

A smile twitched on John's lips. "Not quite. Is something wrong?"

"John, I know it's super late, but do you think you can come in? We just got a bunch of hybrids in, and some are in pretty bad shape."

"What?" John sat bolt upright, despite the slight wave of dizziness that accompanied it. "How many? What happened?"

"There's about twenty. The police just showed up and started unloading the poor things out of the cars. Apparently there was a bust on a breeding mill or something." Sarah paused. "If you don't want to come, I understand, but the hours will go in for overtime..."

"Yeah, it's no problem," John assured her, standing up from the sofa and stretching his free arm. "I'll be there. See you in twenty, Sarah."

Even over the phone, Sarah's grin was practically audible. "Right! See you!"

John tapped the End button as he strode across his tiny apartment. After changing into work clothes, brushing his teeth, and chasing down a late-night cab, John finally relaxed slightly. Soon he would be in his element again.

Nothing could surprise him then.


	2. To Meet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John meets a hybrid unlike any other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hides behind a thing* I know it's been forever, and I know I promised fast updates... But better late than never, right?!  
> So yeah, never mind about the one-update-a-day thing. That just wasn't possible.  
> But! It's here now, and it's a big one!  
> All mistakes are mine, and if you catch any, please let me know.  
> And now, the long-awaited second installment of A Feather-Light Touch! Enjoy!

The first thing John saw as he trudged through the clinic doors was Sarah’s anxious face. Upon noticing him, a fraction of the tension slipped away, but she still practically vibrated with nervous energy. 

"John,” she exhaled, running manicured fingers through her hair. “Thank God. You’re here.”

John attempted to rearrange his features into what he hoped would be a reassuring and sympathetic smile, but came out more liked a grimace or a nervous tic. He gave up, letting his face slip back to his normal expression. “”Right. Where do you need me?”

“We’ve got three nurses and an intern trying to calm down a male in Exotics,” Sarah relayed. “Think we should sedate?”

John quirked his eyebrow. “If four people can’t calm him down, then yeah, definitely. And send in Emmy, she’s good with the wild ones.” Sarah nodded once in quiet assent. “Is that all?” John inquired as he pulled on his gloves. Sarah jerked her head again. “Then let’s get to work,” John breathed, pushing open the door to the examination room.

Perched on the edge of the examination table, a small hybrid sat statue-still. A pair of velvety grey ears, soft ashy paws, and a fearfully twitchy nose identified her as a rabbit. John’s heart jerked at her dismal condition; the layer of grime that covered her whole body, her hair knotted into dirty ropes, the furless patches on her arms and legs, and the numerous scars, bruises, and lacerations from spending months- even years- in a small wire cage. Most of the cuts looked like they were also terribly infected, which was only to be expected if one was constantly covered in feces. John hadn’t even realized that he had been standing staring in the doorway until the petite hybrid kicked the table she was sitting on with a resounding thud that seemed far too loud far such a small hybrid.

“Hey, there,” John murmured, ducking his head slightly to appear smaller. “My name’s Dr. Watson, and I’m going to help you, all right?” The hybrid said nothing, but blinked her doleful eyes in reluctant understanding. “Can you tell me your name?” The hybrid appeared to understand this as well, but made no move to answer. “Okay then…” John muttered, taking two careful paces towards the rabbit. “May I check your tag to find out?”

The hybrid froze at this question; even her ever-twitching nose paused in its movements. After a few seconds of apparent internal debate, the hybrid relaxed slightly, giving a jerky nod yes.

“Good girl,” John said quietly, picking up the tag scanner as he moved towards the hybrid. Carefully, he lifted her tangled hair from her neck and held the scanner to the base of her head. A second later, a small ping came from the machine as its display updated:

**836K-ABBI**

**STATUS: OWNED**

**GENERATION: 4**

**ADDRESS: N/A**

“Abbi?” John inquired. The hybrid’s head shot up, her ears tilting forward as she turned her head to John. “That’s your name, then? May I call you that?” Abbi nodded excitedly, as if she were thrilled to hear her own name again. “Good. Now Abbi, I need to wash you off before I can treat you, so can you come with me please?” John stepped back and held out his hand. Tentatively, Abbi gave John her paw and allowed him to help her down. With the rabbit in tow, John began to make his way to the bath.

Then someone screamed, and several things happened at once.

Abbi started and rapidly backed up to the wall, dropping to her knees and ducking under a chair; she folded up her limbs to make herself as small as possible before turning as still as a statue. The door to one of the examination rooms burst open. John barely had time to register that Emmy, one of the intern nurses, was cowering behind the table, before a great shadow leapt from the room and into John’s path.

John reacted instantly, stepping protectively in front of Abbi and drawing himself up to his full height, blocking the hybrid from escaping down the hallway. The hybrid paused, temporarily outmaneuvered, and for the first time John got a good luck at the feral hybrid.

“Exotic” didn’t even cover it. The hybrid was tall, significantly more so than John, but was lean and compact, made even leaner from malnutrition and abuse. His pale skin was laced with scars documenting years of mistreatment, and his high cheekbones were bruised from being struck. Brilliant turquoise eyes glittered at John from beneath his tightly furrowed brow, and sharp ivory fangs made their presence known in his deep snarl.

“Easy,” John said calmly, lowering his hands. The hybrid’s cat-like ears flicked towards John before pressing back flat against his sable curls. His tail flicked like a whip behind him as the hybrid’s snarl slowly softened.

That’s it,” John praised, taking a step forward. This proved to be a mistake, as the feline hybrid immediately stiffened, his face re-contorting itself into a fearsome growl. John, however, was unfazed by the hybrid’s display of aggression, and again stepped towards the hybrid, who flexed his talon-like hands and flicked his tufted tail, the feathers on the end fanning open.

Wait, John thought. Talons? _Feathers_?

John had only begun to process this information when the hybrid snapped open his enormous, vulture-like wings and lunged at John. The ex-army doctor reacted instantly, twisting his body as the hybrid collided with him. The hybrid made a noise of surprise before he slammed into the ground on his back with John pinning his wrists above his head.

“Now,” John panted, tightening his grasp on the hybrid’s arms, “That’s enough.” The hybrid, apparently determined to make John’s life difficult, struggled beneath him, snarling and attempting to push John off.

“I _said_ ,” John growled, pressing his knee into the hybrid’s chest, “that’s _enough_.” The hybrid hissed as the pressure increased, then whimpered as John shifted still more weight onto him. Finally, the hybrid squeezed his eyes shut and let his head fall back against the floor, baring his pale throat in a signal of deference. As John clambered off of the now-calm hybrid, Emmy peered out from her hiding spot.

“John,” she gasped. “What… was that?” Emmy stared down at the griffin hybrid, who had sat up and was now watching the scene with a detached interest. His focus flickered momentarily to Emmy’s face before settling on her long prehensile tail, which was curling around itself in distress. The hybrid made a low noise and raised a clawed hand to strike.

“No!” John shouted, stomping his foot at the hybrid, who started and glanced up at John before dropping both his hand and his gaze to the ground. Emmy was actually gaping now.

“Wha- How did you do that?!” she stammered, pointing back and forth between John and the hybrid. “He listened to you, John! We had three nurses in there and he acted positively monstrous, but one word from you and he turns into a great housecat!” At this, John spared another glance at the griffin, who was now inspecting his own talons as if he were in need of a manicure. The gesture was so ridiculous that John nearly laughed out loud, but he forced his attention back to Emmy.

“I don’t know,” John replied honestly. “Sometimes you just have to… put them in their place.” Emmy drew back, insulted, and John mentally berated himself. What was he thinking, saying that sort of thing to a hybrid! “Er, I mean- sometimes,” John backpedaled, “when that’s all they know, and that’s normal to them… It reassures them, you know?”

The simian hybrid raised an eyebrow, but seemed to let the matter slide. “Okay,” she said suspiciously, before glancing down at their “feral” guest. He had not moved from where he had been sitting and was now gazing at John. Or perhaps “scanning” was a better word, John thought. The griffin’s eyes were raking over John’s whole person, eyebrows knitted in concentration. Suddenly, his gaze lightened and he smirked, his cat-like turquoise eyes flicking back to John’s.

Then the hybrid spoke.

“Afghanistan or Iraq?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was a doozy.  
> *staggers* *falls* thirteen... Thirteen HUNDRED hits...  
> Thank you all SO much for supporting AFLT!  
> Please comment with any questions or anything you have to say about this fic- if not, see you next time!


End file.
